Currently moving into company apartment (nice to not live in a hotel anymore). Tomorrow the Alaska group heads to safety training a'la BP. We leave for Prudhoe Bay on the 24th, where I believe we will spend about 3 weeks.
Anchorage isn't too cold, and the mountains to the East are beautiful. I could get used to this. For those that may want to know what the sun situation is: there is no sun right now in Prudhoe, and sun rises in Anchorage at 10:30 am, setting around 4:30 pm. The 21st was the shortest day, so Anchorage will gain sunlight by a few seconds with each day passing.
I'll let you know more later on, if I have time.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Training Complete
I assume anyone reading this knows me, so I feel confident when I say that most of you didn't believe me/Schlumberger when I informed you of my date of of departure.
Well... you were wrong (finally). The training process with Schlumberger is thorough and tedious. That being said, I think the training will prepare me well for the industry. This training essentially is the first sip of the Schlumberger kool aid; intro to the company, intro to one's segment (mine is Drilling and Measurements), safety, and safety. I can't emphasize the safety enough, as we spent the majority of our time through the two weeks discussing safety in varying degrees.
The training finished today with a final safety test. The group looked a bit ragged this morning, but could not rest after the class since most are leaving Tulsa today (some to locations, others get to take some time off for Christmas). The company gave us some money to buy dinner through the two weeks, which most of us used for beer and burgers. Since we couldn't drive, and taxis are pricey here in Tulsa and in Houston, we stayed within walking distance of our hotels. We didn't mind in Tulsa since there was karaoke Thursday, Friday and Saturday night (yours truly sang some Journey for the crowd, with assistance from friends).
The Alaska guys (one electronic technician, one maintenance engineer, and myself) head out tomorrow morning. At this point we are all pretty tired as we were not used to waking up at 5 to catch the 6 a.m. bus, and then staying up socializing late into the night. Overall, it was a fun two weeks.
I'll post more in a few days once I get a general idea of what my plans are.
Word out,
-R-Train
Well... you were wrong (finally). The training process with Schlumberger is thorough and tedious. That being said, I think the training will prepare me well for the industry. This training essentially is the first sip of the Schlumberger kool aid; intro to the company, intro to one's segment (mine is Drilling and Measurements), safety, and safety. I can't emphasize the safety enough, as we spent the majority of our time through the two weeks discussing safety in varying degrees.
The training finished today with a final safety test. The group looked a bit ragged this morning, but could not rest after the class since most are leaving Tulsa today (some to locations, others get to take some time off for Christmas). The company gave us some money to buy dinner through the two weeks, which most of us used for beer and burgers. Since we couldn't drive, and taxis are pricey here in Tulsa and in Houston, we stayed within walking distance of our hotels. We didn't mind in Tulsa since there was karaoke Thursday, Friday and Saturday night (yours truly sang some Journey for the crowd, with assistance from friends).
The Alaska guys (one electronic technician, one maintenance engineer, and myself) head out tomorrow morning. At this point we are all pretty tired as we were not used to waking up at 5 to catch the 6 a.m. bus, and then staying up socializing late into the night. Overall, it was a fun two weeks.
I'll post more in a few days once I get a general idea of what my plans are.
Word out,
-R-Train
Friday, November 20, 2009
Sorry for not updating recently, but I'm a mover and a shaker that can't be tied down.
After finding out my Russian stint was postponed, I went back to work with the good folks at Orion pipeline. I would write another long post about them, but I'm out of material. Thanks again to Alesia, Rich, Eddie, Dave, Matt and Fred.
Now an update on my situation: My visa went to the Russian Government/Russian Schlumberger version of a spam folder. We found this out two weeks ago, so the visa was not being processed at all. However, my friend Wilma at SLB worked out a deal for me to work in the U.S. until the visa processes and then I would hopefully transfer to Irkutsk around March or April.
Positives:
1. Missing the Siberian Winters
2. Learning my job from Native English speakers
3. Truck driving training in Kellyville, Oklahoma.
Cons:
1. Delay "Walmart of Mail order Brides" business plans
2. Can't send anyone back those Russian hats before winter. (I've had about 30+ requests)
3. Can't shoot a Polar bear this winter.
However, I will be sent to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. I'm excited about this, but the winter appears to actually be worse than in Siberia. The main positives are learning in English and providing me an opportunity to find a large ship.
The ship will be used to shoot a reality tv show my friends and I have decided to produce, direct, and star in where we harass the people from Whale Wars. The show would be called Whale Wars Wars (We had the idea before South Park aired their "Whale Whores" episode, though the episode was funny). The goal of the Stingray will be to dring grog and ale dressed as pirates and shoot bottles at the Steve Irwin or any Japanese wailing vessel. We are equal opportunity bullies. I don't see anything wrong with what was mentioned above.
I head out December 7th, I'll post more once I hear something.
After finding out my Russian stint was postponed, I went back to work with the good folks at Orion pipeline. I would write another long post about them, but I'm out of material. Thanks again to Alesia, Rich, Eddie, Dave, Matt and Fred.
Now an update on my situation: My visa went to the Russian Government/Russian Schlumberger version of a spam folder. We found this out two weeks ago, so the visa was not being processed at all. However, my friend Wilma at SLB worked out a deal for me to work in the U.S. until the visa processes and then I would hopefully transfer to Irkutsk around March or April.
Positives:
1. Missing the Siberian Winters
2. Learning my job from Native English speakers
3. Truck driving training in Kellyville, Oklahoma.
Cons:
1. Delay "Walmart of Mail order Brides" business plans
2. Can't send anyone back those Russian hats before winter. (I've had about 30+ requests)
3. Can't shoot a Polar bear this winter.
However, I will be sent to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. I'm excited about this, but the winter appears to actually be worse than in Siberia. The main positives are learning in English and providing me an opportunity to find a large ship.
The ship will be used to shoot a reality tv show my friends and I have decided to produce, direct, and star in where we harass the people from Whale Wars. The show would be called Whale Wars Wars (We had the idea before South Park aired their "Whale Whores" episode, though the episode was funny). The goal of the Stingray will be to dring grog and ale dressed as pirates and shoot bottles at the Steve Irwin or any Japanese wailing vessel. We are equal opportunity bullies. I don't see anything wrong with what was mentioned above.
I head out December 7th, I'll post more once I hear something.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
A few changes
Schlumberger decided to postpone my start date, so I will be leaving around November 21st. OFS-1 (orientation) will start November 23rd. The economy has created a weird situation for the company, and its new hires.
However, I'm focusing on the positives of this postponement; More and more American engineers are being sent to Russia. Which means native English speakers.
Why, you may ask? The Fatherland (the words of the Soviet national anthem were changed for the Russian Federation) is now the world's largest producer of oil.
However, I'm focusing on the positives of this postponement; More and more American engineers are being sent to Russia. Which means native English speakers.
Why, you may ask? The Fatherland (the words of the Soviet national anthem were changed for the Russian Federation) is now the world's largest producer of oil.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Skype, Further research findings, a thanks to Orion, and Polar Bears: Cuddly Coca-Cola enthusiasts, or Metallurgists of Death
I'm going to start this off with a shout-out to a certain J. Hildo (not sure if he wanted his real name displayed on the internet). He's currently traveling around Japan and teaching them some realness known as the English language. His blog of blogs is located here.
If you're reading this, most likely you know my email or family (thus having a way of contacting me). However, most of you want independence and options, I can dig that, so I'm going to hit you up with some realness known as Skype.com. My username is RLWhitney87. I don't know my hours on the rig, or during my training, so I can't provide any times that I'll be on at the moment. I don't think you can find my email on this site, but if you contact me I will email you to keep in touch (facebook or a message through this site is fine, as is skype).
I would like to thank the staff of Orion for their support, humor, and a job. Had it not been for these men and woman (if you haven't figured it out yet, there was one woman in the office). There was Dave who, like Felix Jones, could not seem to stay healthy during my short tenure there. Eddie, the mild-mannered quiet guy near the end of the hall. Matt, whose constant smile and positive words regarding my work or my alma mater got me through the day. Rich (pictured right), who ran the accounting thing when he wasn't the star of Crank, Crank 2, or The Transporter
series. Alicia, the lone female of the bunch (a brave soul), managed to wrangle the employees into some form of productivity. Finally, the motley bunch was headed by the biggest bleeding-heart liberal and Nancy Pelosi enthusiast I have ever meet, Fred. Once again, thank you to all of you for the job, the learning opportunity, and your patience. Hopefully you guys don't view this as a huge f-you, and will laugh accordingly. If not, please refer to section VIII of the operations manual for appropriate responses to satire(page 19).
Though this post is a mixture of my ramblings, I'm going to stick to the topics mentioned in the title. Irkutsk is a fascinating city. For those of you who did not peruse the Wikipedia link I included in my last post, I'll tell you a bit about this town then. Shortly after the death of Czar Alexander I, there was a period of controversy within the government as to who was next in line. The next oldest brother, Constantine, had supposedly surrendered his opportunity to take the helm of Russia to his younger brother Alexander -who ironically also had a son, providing security that the family would remain rulers for yet another generation. Alexander I seized control, but groups of Army officers and Aristocrats (Army officers were also of Aristocratic heritage) attempted to stage a revolt that would result in a constitutional monarchy. Alexander tried to quell this uprising peacefully, but then got bored and fired 4 cannons into a group of 30oo rebelling troups and aristocrats. Thus ended the Decemberist Revolt. The aristocrats that were not executed, were banished to the wastelands of Siberia. Irkutsk was this desolate wasteland deemed a frigid-hell capable of punishing these treasonous men. The Czar allowed them to take their families, and continued to banish people there until a hefty percentage of the town was composed of those banished by the Czar(s) (I do not know how long Czars continued to banish people to Irkutsk before or after this period).
Some may want to know about my job, which I know very little about. I can refer you to the generic Schlumberger website about Field Engineers (my title), which would tell you "Everyday is an adventure, but you have to work hard to play hard!". However, I value your time as well as the fact that you're bothering to read this blog. My job is vague to me at this point, but all I know is that I work on oil rigs in Siberia (like the one hopefully
seen to the right of this text). Paradise. All I need now is
a Corona and some lady named Svetlana in a bikini (Although
my research has not determined if Russians even have heard of
the bikini). Schlumberger will train me, in the previously mentioned town of Tyumen, in the art of directional drilling. I will not be a directional driller, as this requires years of experience in the industry, but merely and understudy and assistant called a MWD/LWD. Essentially when the company that hired Schlumberger to oversee their drilling wants the drill-bit to veer in a direction away from typical vertical drilling, I make sure we're in the general area. Sounds simple, but you should ask the guys and gal at Orion about the menial tasks I managed to turn into a ball of confusion (currently listening to The Temptations, sorry for the trite song name pun).
What I did not know is that there are Polar Bears in Russia. Polar Bears, Coca-Colar, warm and
fuzzy feelings around the holidays. These things are all common around Christmas, but this is what the Polar Bear media machine is trying to spin. Secretly, polar bears are using coca cola and the liberal media to infiltrate our homes and eat us. Granted, she was standing within the fenced area possibly taunting a half-ton wild animal. But they eat metal too. You want proof? Ever hear of the Titanic? Metallurgists will argue that the brittle hull caused by cold temperatures striking an iceberg caused the catastrophic hull failure, really it was what was on the iceberg. Polar Bears.
Guess what, thats a nuclear sub. Ever heard of the USS Honolulu? Damn right you haven't, because polar bears used their jaws to tear that thing to pieces, reactor and all. Imagine what it did to some early 20th century passenger-ship. Damn right it was ripped in half, by polar bear jaws. That is where they acquired their taste for metal, hence the fate of the Honolulu. Oil rigs are made out of metal too. Luckily Rich will show up between shootings of Crank 3 and whatever Guy Richie rip-off he's starring in to handle any feral animals near our operations.
-Russ
If you're reading this, most likely you know my email or family (thus having a way of contacting me). However, most of you want independence and options, I can dig that, so I'm going to hit you up with some realness known as Skype.com. My username is RLWhitney87. I don't know my hours on the rig, or during my training, so I can't provide any times that I'll be on at the moment. I don't think you can find my email on this site, but if you contact me I will email you to keep in touch (facebook or a message through this site is fine, as is skype).
I would like to thank the staff of Orion for their support, humor, and a job. Had it not been for these men and woman (if you haven't figured it out yet, there was one woman in the office). There was Dave who, like Felix Jones, could not seem to stay healthy during my short tenure there. Eddie, the mild-mannered quiet guy near the end of the hall. Matt, whose constant smile and positive words regarding my work or my alma mater got me through the day. Rich (pictured right), who ran the accounting thing when he wasn't the star of Crank, Crank 2, or The Transporter
series. Alicia, the lone female of the bunch (a brave soul), managed to wrangle the employees into some form of productivity. Finally, the motley bunch was headed by the biggest bleeding-heart liberal and Nancy Pelosi enthusiast I have ever meet, Fred. Once again, thank you to all of you for the job, the learning opportunity, and your patience. Hopefully you guys don't view this as a huge f-you, and will laugh accordingly. If not, please refer to section VIII of the operations manual for appropriate responses to satire(page 19).Though this post is a mixture of my ramblings, I'm going to stick to the topics mentioned in the title. Irkutsk is a fascinating city. For those of you who did not peruse the Wikipedia link I included in my last post, I'll tell you a bit about this town then. Shortly after the death of Czar Alexander I, there was a period of controversy within the government as to who was next in line. The next oldest brother, Constantine, had supposedly surrendered his opportunity to take the helm of Russia to his younger brother Alexander -who ironically also had a son, providing security that the family would remain rulers for yet another generation. Alexander I seized control, but groups of Army officers and Aristocrats (Army officers were also of Aristocratic heritage) attempted to stage a revolt that would result in a constitutional monarchy. Alexander tried to quell this uprising peacefully, but then got bored and fired 4 cannons into a group of 30oo rebelling troups and aristocrats. Thus ended the Decemberist Revolt. The aristocrats that were not executed, were banished to the wastelands of Siberia. Irkutsk was this desolate wasteland deemed a frigid-hell capable of punishing these treasonous men. The Czar allowed them to take their families, and continued to banish people there until a hefty percentage of the town was composed of those banished by the Czar(s) (I do not know how long Czars continued to banish people to Irkutsk before or after this period).
Some may want to know about my job, which I know very little about. I can refer you to the generic Schlumberger website about Field Engineers (my title), which would tell you "Everyday is an adventure, but you have to work hard to play hard!". However, I value your time as well as the fact that you're bothering to read this blog. My job is vague to me at this point, but all I know is that I work on oil rigs in Siberia (like the one hopefully
seen to the right of this text). Paradise. All I need now is
a Corona and some lady named Svetlana in a bikini (Although
my research has not determined if Russians even have heard of
the bikini). Schlumberger will train me, in the previously mentioned town of Tyumen, in the art of directional drilling. I will not be a directional driller, as this requires years of experience in the industry, but merely and understudy and assistant called a MWD/LWD. Essentially when the company that hired Schlumberger to oversee their drilling wants the drill-bit to veer in a direction away from typical vertical drilling, I make sure we're in the general area. Sounds simple, but you should ask the guys and gal at Orion about the menial tasks I managed to turn into a ball of confusion (currently listening to The Temptations, sorry for the trite song name pun).
What I did not know is that there are Polar Bears in Russia. Polar Bears, Coca-Colar, warm and
fuzzy feelings around the holidays. These things are all common around Christmas, but this is what the Polar Bear media machine is trying to spin. Secretly, polar bears are using coca cola and the liberal media to infiltrate our homes and eat us. Granted, she was standing within the fenced area possibly taunting a half-ton wild animal. But they eat metal too. You want proof? Ever hear of the Titanic? Metallurgists will argue that the brittle hull caused by cold temperatures striking an iceberg caused the catastrophic hull failure, really it was what was on the iceberg. Polar Bears.
Guess what, thats a nuclear sub. Ever heard of the USS Honolulu? Damn right you haven't, because polar bears used their jaws to tear that thing to pieces, reactor and all. Imagine what it did to some early 20th century passenger-ship. Damn right it was ripped in half, by polar bear jaws. That is where they acquired their taste for metal, hence the fate of the Honolulu. Oil rigs are made out of metal too. Luckily Rich will show up between shootings of Crank 3 and whatever Guy Richie rip-off he's starring in to handle any feral animals near our operations.
-Russ
Monday, September 28, 2009
Slow beginnings as a Global Executive
I started this blog to update anyone interested in my travels abroad with oilfield giant Schlumberger. I will serve this company as a Field Engineer, which is one rank below CEO (two if you count that whole "Vice President" thing). As a global executive, I will serve as much more than a man running oil rigs; I will serve as an ambassador of the U.S. -and more importantly the greater Tyler area.
I'll be living in Irkutsk, Russia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irkutsk if you would like to know about as much as I currently do regarding the town.
I'll actually be training in Tyumen, Russia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyumen . I haven't read much on this town, as I've been doing very important things with stuff for people who know what there is to know.
I will hopefully update this semi-frequently with pictures, stories, and information of this culture that remains a mystery to me at the moment. If anything, this blog will help me remember my journey in Siberia over the next few years.
-Russ
I'll be living in Irkutsk, Russia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irkutsk if you would like to know about as much as I currently do regarding the town.
I'll actually be training in Tyumen, Russia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyumen . I haven't read much on this town, as I've been doing very important things with stuff for people who know what there is to know.
I will hopefully update this semi-frequently with pictures, stories, and information of this culture that remains a mystery to me at the moment. If anything, this blog will help me remember my journey in Siberia over the next few years.
-Russ
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